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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: band · deal · mark · wound · safe · present · cap · drill

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. present — the time now
  4. drill — army training
  5. cap — a lid
  6. band — a ring
  7. cap — a hat
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. present — there
  10. deal — to handle
  11. band — a music group
  12. mark — a trace
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. drill — the tool
  15. mark — a grade
  16. drill — a practice
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. present — a gift
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. wound — an injury
  21. cap — of ice
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. deal — an agreement

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com